“I just don’t have time,” is a common excuse year-round…and it can also be a way of rationalizing why we don’t keep our resolutions in the new year. Often what this really means is, “X isn’t truly my priority, so I don’t want to make time.” If the time excuse crops up whenever you get to the grocery store and feel overwhelmed by the idea of making seven x three meals per week, slow down! It doesn’t have to be that hard.

If you want to eat well but find it difficult to cook a healthy, real-foods dinner on a regular basis, invest in a slow cooker. I can’t say it enough: this appliance is the bomb (dot) com. Yes, I just said that- I grew up in the 90s, whatever. Here is how you use a slow cooker:

1. Throw the toughest, cheapest cut of meat your grocery store has on sale into the crock. Add some seasonings, whatever, really shake it up with some salt and pepper.

2. Totally forget that you are cooking something while you complete the 17 tasks on your to do list like a productivity beast/go to work/save baby orangutans/watch TV.

3. Remember that you are cooking when your nose starts to tickle as a delicious, welcoming aroma wafts through the air.

4. DINNER TIME!

It’s really that simple. And so is this recipe for Sweet and Smoky Pulled Pork, adjusted from the Nom Nom Paleo recipe for Slow Cooker Kalua Pig with a couple unique additions. You can keep it smoky and simple with plain pork, or you can enhance the smokiness of the paprika by adding poblano peppers to the mix. A heaping scoop of warm pomegranate seeds adds juicy sweetness to every mouthful. The surprising flavor combination really dresses up an already fantastic, easy slow cooker meal.

Place the pork shoulder into the crock of slow cooker with the skin/fat side up. In a small bowl, combine sea salt and paprika, then rub all over the pork until evenly covered. Tuck the garlic cloves into the meat. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

When the pork has finished cooking, transfer the roast to a large bowl and pull apart with two forks. I removed the skin side after cooking because I’m not a fan of super fatty meat, but you can leave it in if you’d like! After the meat is pulled, taste it. Season to taste with juices from the slow cooker.

This pulled pork is smoky, juicy, and absolutely delicious on its own. It makes a flavorful addition to frittatas, lettuce tacos, or big salads. To add a burst of sweetness in each bite, mix in a heaping 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds. To up the smoky flavor, add two smoked, chopped poblano peppers.

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About Humble Foodie

While we both love to eat well, life as AmeriCorps volunteers doesn’t afford us the budget to try every new restaurant and type of cuisine. With many post-graduate expenses and limited financial resources, what’s a foodie to do?
The answer is here, at The Humble Foodie. Instead of spending our hard-earned cash paying other people to cook for us, we’re spending as frugally as possible making delicious meals at home.